Guest Sundancefisher Posted October 22, 2008 Posted October 22, 2008 New source of X-rays found Article Comments (1) MALCOLM RITTER The Associated Press October 22, 2008 at 1:05 PM EDT NEW YORK — Two weeks after a Nobel Prize highlighted theoretical work on subatomic particles, physicists are announcing a startling discovery about a much more familiar form of matter: Scotch tape. It turns out that if you peel the popular adhesive tape off its roll in a vacuum chamber, it emits X-rays. The researchers even made an X-ray image of one of their fingers. Who knew? Actually, more than 50 years ago, some Russian scientists reported evidence of X-rays from peeling sticky tape off glass. But the new work demonstrates that you can get a lot of X-rays, a study co-author says. “We were very surprised,” Juan Escobar said. “The power you could get from just peeling tape was enormous.” An image provided by the UCLA Laboratory of Low Temperatures and Acoustics shows a finger in an X-ray made with Scotch tape. (Carlos Camara, Juan V. Escobar and Seth J. Putterman, UCLA Laboratory of Low Temperatures and Acoustics/The Associated Press) Mr. Escobar, a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles, reports the work with UCLA colleagues in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. He suggests that with some refinements, the process might be harnessed for making inexpensive X-ray machines for paramedics or for places where electricity is expensive or hard to get. After all, you could peel tape or do something similar in such machines with just human power, like cranking. The researchers and UCLA have applied for a patent covering such devices. In the new work, a machine peeled ordinary Scotch tape off a roll in a vacuum chamber at about 30 millimetres a second. Rapid pulses of X-rays, each about a billionth of a second long, emerged from very close to where the tape was coming off the roll. That is where electrons jumped from the roll to the sticky underside of the tape that was being pulled away, a journey of about .05 millimetre (50 microns), Mr. Escobar said. When those electrons struck the sticky side they slowed down, and that slowing made them emit X-rays. So is this a health hazard for unsuspecting tape-peelers? Mr. Escobar noted that no X-rays are produced in the presence of air. You need to work in a vacuum – not exactly an everyday situation. “If you're going to peel tape in a vacuum, you should be extra careful,” he said. But “I will continue to use Scotch tape during my daily life, and I think it's safe to do it in your office. No guarantees.” James Hevezi, head of the American College of Radiology's Commission on Medical Physics, said the notion of developing an X-ray machine from the new finding was “a very interesting idea, and I think it should be carried further in research.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ry/Science/home Quote
SanJuanWorm Posted October 22, 2008 Posted October 22, 2008 Oh the humanity. How will they ever keep ford trucks together now? Quote
Guest Sundancefisher Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 Oh the humanity. How will they ever keep ford trucks together now? Duct tape mostly... Hmmm...ya think duct tape gives of Xrays too? Crap...I am in trouble. Quote
gustuphson Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 I guess it could - but only if you live in a vacuum Quote
Guest RedWiggler Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 1 in 5 people will be diagnosed with cancer in there life, its the most horrible thing ever, if you have ever experienced it up close and personal. Im pretty sure everything causes it at this point the question is how do we stop it? I went to another Cancer funeral this week, 3rd one in a row, its @#cking horrible. I just prey that my wife, kids and myself some how get lucky and managed to miss all that. Quote
Guest Sundancefisher Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 1 in 5 people will be diagnosed with cancer in there life, its the most horrible thing ever, if you have ever experienced it up close and personal. Im pretty sure everything causes it at this point the question is how do we stop it? I went to another Cancer funeral this week, 3rd one in a row, its @#cking horrible. I just prey that my wife, kids and myself some how get lucky and managed to miss all that. Don't we all....don't we all. I am up to losing two grandfathers, one mother, one father-in-law, almost one 3 year old niece (fingers still crossed...touch wood) and one very dear fishing friend. Quote
SanJuanWorm Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 You just live life to the fullest every day. Quote
Guest RedWiggler Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 Don't we all....don't we all. I am up to losing two grandfathers, one mother, one father-in-law, almost one 3 year old niece (fingers still crossed...touch wood) and one very dear fishing friend. GEEEZ, we (my family) wish the best for your niece and the rest of your family, that must be really tough sorry to hear that. Quote
reevesr1 Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 Father and grandfather. Mom is a cancer survivor. Nobody young, no close friends, thank god. Prayers go out to anyone dealing with cancer, be it themselves, family, or friends. Quote
bigbowtrout Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Lost my Mom 4 months ago to Cancer. She was only 60 so get out there and live life to its fullest. Quote
birchy Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Lost my Mom 4 months ago to Cancer. She was only 60 so get out there and live life to its fullest. Sorry to hear that dude. For me it was one of my really close friends here in Calgary.. he was only 24. Quote
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